While many types of vacuum cleaners are available for efficiently and easily cleaning horizontal undersurfaces, conventional devices are not readily adaptable to the cleaning of vertical surfaces. Thus, for example, in order to clean the risers of carpeted stairs with most conventional machines, it is necessary for the operator to physically rotate the entire machine and suspend it while urging it horizontally against the riser. In a solution to this problem suggested in U.S. Pat. No. 4,397,060, the nozzle is pivotally mounted to the hand part of the machine, so that the operator may hold the handle in the normal position while cleaning a riser. This arrangement, however, requires a pivotal interconnection between major elements of the device in order to effect the rotation of the entire nozzle.
The present invention is therefore directed to the provision of a vacuum cleaner that overcomes the above disadvantages of known machines.
An object of the present invention is to provide a light-weight, portable, vacuum cleaner having an adjustable shield which can pivoted from one position to another whereby the nozzle opening is changed in orientation in order to vacuum both stair steps and risers, as required.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a hand-held vacuum cleaner having means for changing the flow path of dirt-laden air therein and in which a closable opening is present for providing easy access to the drive belt for replacement purposes.
Another feature of the present invention is to provide a hand-held vacuum cleaner which is reliably effective for the purposes intended.